In the quiet, late-night hours of April 19, 2022, a fatal encounter unfolded in the parking lot of a tavern in west St. Louis County, leaving two men dead and a community in shock. The victim was identified as Jason Skiles, a 40-year-old male from Hillsboro, Missouri. The incident, which took place outside Larry's Tavern on Manchester Road, is being investigated as a probable murder-suicide.
That Tuesday evening, just before 11:35 p.m., St. Louis County police from the Wildwood Precinct responded to a call for a shooting. Upon their arrival, they discovered two men with apparent gunshot wounds. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators believe the two men had been involved in an altercation in the parking lot prior to the shooting. Patrons who were at the tavern earlier that night recalled seeing both men inside the establishment before the deadly confrontation occurred outside.
Police identified the suspected shooter as 51-year-old Darren Jaycox of Wildwood. It is believed that Jaycox shot Skiles before turning the gun on himself. A relative of Skiles described him as a first-time visitor to the tavern. The investigation into the circumstances that led to the violent altercation remains active, as authorities continue to piece together the events of that tragic night.
